Help me find a place. (Chicago, Lincoln: apartments, rent, houses)

[Mental]

Hi,
I'm an artist and need to find a place with enough room for me, my roommates and an artstudio; I need a relatively big place, but I live on Disability, and my roommates don't have much. Everyone says find a rent sign in Pilsen, but the only places that were good enough (2 places) were already taken. Is there any where else in Chicago that's relatively safe, has one decent supermarket, has an el stop or major bus line, and is a very cheap neiborhood? It doesn't have to have a lot of stores I just need the stuff I just mentioned, safety, groceries, good public transport. There used to be places like that, there has to be a place like that now.
Thanks

[WhaThe]

West Town, Ukrainian Village, areas of Humboldt park perhaps?

[Avengerfire]

Price range?

[Scaredy_Squirrel]

Originally Posted by Mental

Hi,
I'm an artist and need to find a place with enough room for me, my roommates and an artstudio; I need a relatively big place, but I live on Disability, and my roommates don't have much. Everyone says find a rent sign in Pilsen, but the only places that were good enough (2 places) were already taken. Is there any where else in Chicago that's relatively safe, has one decent supermarket, has an el stop or major bus line, and is a very cheap neiborhood? It doesn't have to have a lot of stores I just need the stuff I just mentioned, safety, groceries, good public transport. There used to be places like that, there has to be a place like that now.
Thanks

Boy, you're not asking for much, are you! "Safe" and "Cheap" are usually found only in rural areas, not urban. Safe is found in monied areas or sleepy suburbs, Cheap is found in poor areas that have a lot of warehouses or no one wants to live their because of the crime. I grew up in rural Illinois and still, you can buy a house for $35,000.00, to live in the middle of Nowhere, U.S.A.

I've lived in almost every neighborhood of Chicago in the past 35 years and they all have pluses and minuses: Gold Coast and Lincoln Park were safe but gastly expensive, too touristy and no parking; Hyde Park, near Jeffery, was cheap but dodgy; Andersonville got as expensive as Lincoln Park, and now Logan Square is becoming the over-flow Hot Spot for Wicker Parker's who can't afford to live there. I won't even mention Uptown; lost 5 years of my life living there...ugh.

Start your search by what is the MOST important thing to you! Safety? Cheapness? Transportation? And then go down the list as to what is and is not important; they don't all rate as #1. I settled on Logan Square because 10 years ago, it was dirt cheap, safe, and a short commute to work via car to my job in Lincoln Park. Now, rates have gone up, gang violence is prevalent in certain areas, and the yuppies have started clogging up the place with coffee shops, dogs and expensive-poor service restaurants. I've learned there's no Heaven on Earth; just what you'll put up with for a price.

[Brunette2010]

Have you looked at Old Irving/Irving Park and Portgage Park/Six Corners?

[PokerPlayer1]

This is a variant of the same old question....

"Hello! I am moving to Chicago because of (insert life-circumstance here).

Because of (said circumstance), I require a nice place in a safe area of the city, however, I can only afford to pay (insert absurdly low sum here) a month. It must include (insert ridiculously unattainable amenities here) and be within walking distance to both the lake and an El Stop..."

The answer to this question is always the same: LOL. No. Go move to Des Moines.

[Brunette2010]

there are areas of Chicago that are much lower priced then the "trendy areas and yes, you can find them in safe, abiet maybe not as "xcitin" areas. I encourage you t check out Portage Park, Six Corners, Jefferson Park, etc--Theres a LOT of living in Chicago west !!

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Brunette2010

Have you looked at Old Irving/Irving Park and Portgage Park/Six Corners?

Originally Posted by Brunette2010

there are areas of Chicago that are much lower priced then the "trendy areas and yes, you can find them in safe, abiet maybe not as "xcitin" areas. I encourage you t check out Portage Park, Six Corners, Jefferson Park, etc--Theres a LOT of living in Chicago west !!

But those places don't come cheap.


Old Irving is a bit more expensive than some would like. I remember seing some cheap studios near six corners for $500 or so plus utilities.

If you're an artist, you might try looking for apartments on Morgan St. from 31st to 33rd in Bridgeport. I almost got a 2br apartment there for $575, but decided that there was too much active gang presence for my own liking. There is also a public housing complex right there too. But, it is cheap.

In my particular complex, there are small 1br's for $585 (heat included) that is 1 block from the Kedzie brown line stop, 2 blocks from andy's fruit ranch (groceries) and the Lawrence bus that takes you to the Jefferson Park Blue line stop.

[Mental]

Sorry I just saw that there were replies, and haven't read everything. It's me and 2 others, and the most we can pay is $900 plus utilities. I can pay more if any utilities are covered.
Thanks

I like the listing of cheap but safe neihborhoods. If anyone knows good sites to look for live work spaces would be cool. Craigslist has only so many listings.
Thanks

[Mental]

I live in Ukrainian Village, but I need a large place to work. By safe I don't mean that there is 0 chance of being mugged, just not a war zone where I may get mugged almost anyday, and get my house robbed often. I'm hoping for an area where I might be mugged once every few years, and be safe in my apt. I don't need to be by the lake just to be relatively safe from violence. I've been mugged once here and once in Rogers Park where I lived before.